The invention relates in general to mortar munitions and in particular to breech loaded mortar munitions.
In the past, mortars have been muzzle loaded. With muzzle loaded mortars, the position of the mortar bomb in the mortar tube is not an issue. In a breech loaded mortar, the mortar bomb may be loaded by a mechanical auto loader. The bomb is placed forward of the correct firing position to insure that the bomb is not struck by the breech block as it is closed. After the breech block is closed, the bomb must be moved back against the breech block. When the mortar tube is in an elevated position, gravity will move the bomb back against the breech block. When the mortar tube is horizontal or nearly horizontal, the force of gravity is not sufficient to move the bomb back against the breech block. Thus, there is a need for a device to move mortar bombs back against the breech block when the mortar tube is horizontal or nearly horizontal.